Mildred Esther Joyal Gossett

MILDRED ESTHER JOYAL GOSSETT Mildred “Mickey” Esther Joyal Gossett died on May 1, 2018 in Laurel, MS. Mickey was born on July 27, 1926 to Mildred “Sister” and Clifford “Joe” Allen Joyal in Laurel and was a lifelong resident of the city. She met her husband, Elmer L. Gossett, affectionately called “Bunny” by her, on a blind date arranged by Elmer’s sister, Cleo Gossett Huston. He preceded her in death in 2010 after 58 years of marriage. A graduate of George S. Gardiner High School and Jones County Junior College, Mickey lived her entire life in Laurel. She worked for forty-five years at Masonite Corporation serving as the Executive Assistant to the Plant Manager for forty of those years. She often said that the best times of her life were spent on the Pascagoula River with her family at their fishing camp in Jackson County and “the river” with her Columbus family. She also loved her church family at the First Baptist Church of Laurel, her bridge outings and lunches with longtime friends, Elvis Presley, yellow roses, butterflies and strawberries. In the last few months of her life she often reminisced about foreign travels to England, Spain, France and Mexico with Elmer. LSU football games and frequent Mardi Gras visits with her aunt and uncle in New Orleans rounded out her travel memories. She is survived by her step-daughter, Sheri McCoy, of Richland Hills TX; granddaughter, Elizabeth Guest (called Lizzie Lou by Mickey and Elmer) and husband, Howard, and great-grandson, Samuel of Athens, GA; former son-in-law Gus Linthicum of Grapevine, TX; niece Judy Boyll Hughey of Birmingham, AL, nephews Guy (Jane) Boyll of Jackson, MS and Steve Huston of Los Angeles, CA ; cousins Kay (Sammy) Townsend, Columbus, MS; Carol (Edward) Tillery of Longview, TX, Glen (Linda) Collins and Karen (Robert) Tanner of Lynchburg, VA. The family would like to express extreme gratitude to her “adopted” brother and sister, Lonnie and Peggy Stephens of Laurel and her niece, Becky Huston (Mark) Jenner of Pass Christian, for their love, care and compassion they showed Mickey the last years of her life. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the flower fund at First Baptist Church of Laurel. To sign the online guest book, visit www.memorychapellaurel.com.

Mildred Esther Joyal Gossett

July 27, 1928 - May 1, 2018